VMLite VNC Server – control your Android phone or tablet from your computer!

by Antonio Wells Aug 24, 2012 7:17 PM – 5 Comments

Install

VMLite VNC Server is a combination of an Android app, desktop app plus VNC viewer app that will allow you to control an Android phone or tablet from a computer or another Android device! Let’s show you the cool uses of an app like this in this review.

Price: $1.99

Tested on: Samsung Galaxy S3
Content Rating: Everyone

AndroidTapp.com Android App Review:

Pros & Cons:

Pros

Control your Android phone or tablet from your computer or laptop!
Works in a desktop program or web browser!
Possible to project your phone onto a larger screen!
Works on non-rooted devices as well as rooted!

Cons

Huge visual lag between transitions and actions on the larger screen, i.e. won’t be suitable for showing games or videos.
A bit technical and may be intimidating in non-techies.
Not sure how, or why, but it seems the reduction of screen capture size to half in the app’s settings menu results in a red tone over the phone’s display in the web or desktop VNC viewer app… weird.

Features:

Have you ever had a need to project the actions of your phone onto a larger screen? How about controlling your entire phone from your desktop or laptop? With VMLite VNC Server… it is possible!

I personally wish I had this technology at my disposal at past speaking engagements or workshops where I was instructing a group and needed them all to see exactly what was on my device. I also have a desire to stay more productive, sometimes working on my laptop and emails come in from various accounts, it’s a breeze to jump in and out of Gmail accounts on Android and a pain to do on the desktop as you have to login each time. This desire makes me ponder, “Is there a way I can jump into my phone and just control it from my computer?”

To an extent, I’ve been able to do portions of that job; send/receive text messages, answer calls, manage files, etc. from my computer over a Wi-Fi network with apps like the magnificent MyPhoneExplorer. VMLite VNC Server, however, takes this to the next level by allowing you to use software like Real VNC Viewer to control everything on your phone or tablet without stinking wires over Wi-Fi.

Once you have installed the desktop app (for PC, Mac and Linux), it will install various device manufacturer’s device drivers to ensure your phone or tablet properly connects to your computer. Next, you should install the Android app and connect your phone via USB cable and click the “Start VMLite VNC Server” button as seen below. Note: for rooted users, this is the only time you should have to run this desktop app. However, for non-rooted users, you will have to run this app each time you reboot your device. Lastly, you will need a separate VNC app, I chose to install Real VNC Viewer… the freebie doesn’t allow for encrypted connects and limited to 5 different computers.

VMLite VNC Server Android App Controller

For the security conscious (that may have shuttered at my usage of an unencrypted VNC connection), the app allows you to set a VNC password in the settings menu. Be sure to explore the settings as it has some features that may be helpful.

There are a few steps to set this up though…

How to Setup VMLite VNC Server

Install the desktop app from developer’s site here. Hint: be sure to allow this app through your firewall.
Install the Android app.
Install a VNC viewer app of your choice.
Run the VMLite VNC Server app.
Run your VNC viewer app and enter the IP address information from your phone then click “Connect”.
Cheers! Control your phone or tablet from your computer (see more tips below!)

For more troubleshooting you can consult the developer’s help guide. Once connected, below are some tips on controlling your phone with your keyboard:

Mouse operations

Left Click	Tap
Right Click	Back
Middle Click	End Call
Wheel	Scroll
Ctrl-Wheel	Fling/Swipe left/right

Keyboard operations

F1/Home	Home
Escape	Back
F2	Menu
F5	Search
PgUp/PgDown	Scroll
F3	Call/Dial
F4	Hangup/End Call
F6	Rotate
F7	Power button
F8/Ctrl-F3	Camera
Ctrl-left/right/up/down	Fling/Swipe

: VMLite VNC Server

: VMLite VNC Server Settings

: VMLite VNC Server Web App Phone Home Screen

: VMLite VNC Server Web App Browsing the Web

: VMLite VNC Server Web App Viewing App Drawer

: VMLite VNC Server Web App Watching a Video

: VMLite VNC Server Android App Controller

Usefulness:

An app like this may not be useful to everyone, however, I have in the past and still do have a personal need for an app like this to help with productivity and cut down on unnecessary device switching throughout my day. If you use this app, or others like it, I would like to hear your use cases in the comments below!

Ease of Use:

Although this genre of apps in combination may intimidate non-techies, I would concur that it was actually very easy to get all three pieces of software installed and running in under ten minutes. If you’re highly technical, this workflow will be a breeze.

Frequently Used:

I personally would seldom use a setup like this, however, I could see others who work at a desk with other devices, using this combination on a daily basis.

Interface:

The app on your phone only has a basic interface to start or stop the VMLite server to allow VNC access to the device. More of your attention will be focused on your computer to project your phone or tablet screen.

A flaw I did notice, however, a result of the higher resolution screen of my Galaxy S3 at (720×1280 pixels), just over half of the device could fit on the screen (see here), thus resulting in vertical scrolling. The workaround to this is to use the web browser and not the desktop VNC viewer app, essentially utilizing the browsers display reduction functions. Then you can hold the “Control” button then press the “-” minus button to reduce the browser display size to fit the phone onto the screen.

Lastly, and disappointingly, there is significant lag between refresh rates on the computer from the phone (like one frame per second slow). So if you intend to show off games or videos, forget it! Yes, games and videos will play but the display refresh rate would be no where near fast enough to show a coherent visual. This combination is best used on static apps like email, news, calls, etc.

AndroidTapp.com Rating

AndroidTapp.com Rating! (4.2 out of 5)

Should you Download VMLite VNC Server? Only if you have a need to access and/or control your phone or tablet from your computer. There is significant lag between refresh on the computer from the phone, it may scare off non-technical folks in the setup process, however, once setup it can be highly useful, productive and super nerd cool to show off to friends & colleagues.

Developer: VMLite Corporation

Tags: Android App, Android Apps, AndroidTapp.com App Review, Real VNC Viewer, VMLite VNC Server, VNC, VNC Viewer

Categorised in: Tools

5 Comments

By Jaime on August 25, 2012 at 5:43 pm:

For your gripe with the phone’s immense resolution and not being able to see it all, there’s an option in the app’s settings for resolution scaling. Try 0.5. If not, your viewer should allow you to scale as well. I use TightVNC (free!!) and it’s viewer let’s me scale when I’m on fullscreen view.

Reply
By Jaime on August 25, 2012 at 5:51 pm:

Also in your review you said that you needed to run the desktop app at least once if you were rooted, this is actually incorrect. If you are rooted, you don’t need the desktop app whatsoever. You can set everything up from your phone. Just install the app and hit “Start”.

Reply
By kalisthenes on August 30, 2012 at 9:27 am:

I use hushtunnel for linking between computers (which is actually a VNC service but also gives VNC too. This is a similar thing but allows you to link to the phone. On my S2 its pretty good – but you wonder about the practicality of it and whether there are any serious uses for this. I think perhaps it might make more sense for a tablet rather than a phone.

Reply
By johndoe on November 16, 2012 at 3:16 am:

“any serious uses”.. you have NO clue. i use this app all day everyday. I use email, sms, whatsapp, and make phone calls throughout the day while I’m at work, so I constantly switching back and forth between my phone and computer. Now I just plug in my phone into the charger and does ALL that without touching the phone. Saves SO much time. And this is just the beginning. Imagine if the lag could be minimized or even eliminated, with the right phone with powerful cpu and high enough resolution, your phone could be the only computer you need while the laptop/PC will just be a dummy monitor for it. I think this is the future of computing. One central device that you always have on you (might as well be a phone) and multiple “thin terminal” devices at work, at home, in the car, etc.

Reply
- By Anant Aggarwal on March 8, 2013 at 6:13 am:
  
  I think your comment has banged the nail in its head.
  
  I have jumped to the bandwagon quite late and somehow managed to grab an earlier version of Vmlite VNC Server for free, configured it and then connected it to VNC viewer on my Linux PC. Only a couple of days, and as you said, I have not touched my Galaxy Note apart from putting it to charge, doing everything from my PC now. Probably can add a headset to take calls as well. Just wish they upscale the frame and refresh rates pretty soon, and then we would have a world of pure and proper convergence, where the whole processing power would lie at a single source like a mobile device, and we could employ dumb terminals around the world to link up to it, a kind of a cloud revolution. Future of computing, you bet it, if Apples, Blackberries and Googles give up a little on their proprietary juices, this might turn out to be the technology revolution of the millenium.
  
  Reply